Sinhala nationalist mind set seems incapable of comprehending what Tamils are articulating
Revisiting Jaffna
BY Dushy Ranetunge
Jaffna remains one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful cities with the lagoons, the long roads across the sea connecting its many islands, stunning beaches, the calm lagoon like sea, many beautiful Hindu temples, the many excellent centres of education, the Portuguese fort and its gentle peoples who are to a great extent bilingual and perhaps the most hardworking and productive in Sri Lanka.
Cavady under Bo tree ~ click on pic for larger image
Desecration of Kantharodai stupa's cleaned
The bazaar remains open into the late evening and large numbers of bicycles clog the streets as its peoples go about their business. At the commencement of hostilities Jaffna was Sri Lanka’s second largest city.
Distances between towns in kilometres marked on street signs are displayed to two decimal places, highlighting the exacting mindset of the Jaffna citizen.
In addition Jaffna has some of the best food in the region. Their Jaffna crab curry puts Australia’s mud crab of Port Douglas and Melbourne to shame.
After clearing the checkpoint north of Omanthai, we witnessed the reconstruction of the old railroad destroyed during the war. The A9 highway from Omanthai until Elephant Pass is dominated by predominantly Sinhalese soldiers, who even operate the small restaurants by the roadside. This military presence seems overwhelming and stifling.
The check point north of Omanthai, the long distance from Omanthai to Elephant pass, the different culture, language, religion and cuisine at the other end in the Jaffna peninsula gave the perception of visiting a different country. This was felt by everyone in the three SUV’s who made up a party of 12 who were all Sinhalese.
They also without exception viewed the many roadside bunkers in the Jaffna Peninsula and soldiers guarding most junctions as creating a perception of an army of occupation.
The politeness, general attitude and professionalism of the predominantly Sinhalese soldiers manning bunkers and checkpoints were impressive. But however efficient, friendly and helpful they are, a predominantly Sinhalese force manning bunkers and standing at every street corner in Jaffna will be viewed with hostility by the Tamil population similar to how a Sinhalese population would perceive a Tamil army setting up bunkers and standing in every street corner in Hambanthota, Galle or Matara.
The soldiers themselves told us on several occasions that some in the local population look at them with a “vapara” eye.
To the Sinhalese visitor or soldier, the average Jaffna Tamil would say that everything is fine and that they are happy and want nothing more than peace, as repeated by President Mahinda Rajapakse when pressed on a political resolution.
But scratch the surface and once they feel that they can trust you, a different perception could be unearthed, often repeated by India and the Western democracies. An elderly Jaffna Tamil man who owns a petrol station on KKS road told this reporter last Monday, that Tamils want equality as articulated by Chelvanayagam. When I inquired if they will be happy with provincial councils, he said that they don’t work.
Our visit to Jaffna exposed and confirmed that all the conditions and discontent that led to the Tamil rebellion are still present today. The only ingredient that is lacking is the combustion of anti-Tamil riots such as in 1956, 1958, 1977, 1981, and 1983.
The Sinhala nationalist mind set seems incapable of comprehending what the Tamils are articulating.
The Tamils object to the “Sinhalisation” of Tamil areas. The Sinhalese nationalists say that if Tamils can live in Wellawatta, Sinhalese should be settled in the North and East.
The Sinhalese nationalist mind fails to comprehend the subtle difference between a Tamil deciding to live in Wellawatta and the state settling Sinhalese and building Buddhist temples in Tamil areas. One is a demonstration of citizen’s right to live anywhere in the republic and the other can be interpreted as the dominant tribe having seized control of the republic, abusing the republics resources for the benefit and perpetuation of the hegemony of the dominant tribe.
For example, in order to quell the southern JVP rebellion of 1971 and 1989, would the state have settled Tamils and Muslims in Galle and Matara and help build mosques and Hindu kovils in Galle and Matara to subdue the rebellious Sinhalese, to the same extent that they are doing in the North and East?
We visited Nagadipa in Nainathivu, Casuarina Beach in Karainagar (Karaithivu), Nalour Kovil, the Nilavarai deep black bottomless well in Nawathkiri, the ancient Buddhist ruins of Kantharodai, Point Pedro, KKS, Velvettithurai, Keerimalai beach and Kovil, Elephant Pass, Killinochchi, Mullaithivu, Iranamadu Tank, LTTE airfield, Kokillai, and Welioya.
The Nalour Kandasamy Kovil, one of the largest and venerated Hindu Kovil’s in the North was constructed by Chempaha Perumal known to the Sinhalese as Sapumal Kumaraya. His name is repeated daily in the Kattiyam as “Sri Sangabo Buvanekabahu”. The artwork in this temple reflects southern influence.
We visited the war memorials in Kilinochchi and Elephant Pass, and noticed the mention of Gothabaya Rajapakse and Mahinda Rajapakse in the memorial plaque. Soldiers were unhappy that there is no mention of General Sarath Fonseka on these two memorials. Some soldiers told us that Sinhalese visitors from the South had also commented on this point.
Irrespective of Fonseka’s Political shortcomings, the acknowledgement of his contribution to the war effort is common decency and the attempt to erase his name reflects negatively on the Rajapakse’s integrity.
There are large numbers of Sinhalese visiting the North at present and this is having its impact on the local population. Young Sinhalese male visitors are harassing females with various unwarranted and disrespectful comments. We heard these in Jaffna town as well as at Casuarina beach, which is littered with plastic bottles and bags. We saw one group standing around in the shallow sea with a bottle of liquor in the centre and eating processed crisps like food from a plastic wrapper which was allowed to float away after they had finished consuming it.
The Kantarodai ancient Buddhist remains, which was not desecrated by the LTTE, and which I had visited on several occasions previously during and before the conflict, has been desecrated by recent Sinhalese visitors who had written their phone numbers and names on the ancient stupas. This has now been cleaned, but the marks are still visible. During my previous visits, I walked freely around the many stupas at Kantharodai, but now its been cordoned off and the soldiers guarding it stated that the new restrictions are in place because the site had been desecrated by recent visitors from the south.
We visited the home of a poor Jaffna Tamil shopkeeper who treated us with vadai, bananas and tea. Their generosity and friendliness was no different to what we had experienced in the South.
One of the first things we saw on Sunday as we drove into Jaffna was Cavady dancing where men had pierced the middle of their back with hooks. Everyone in the vehicles were excited with the spectacle, but failed to notice something significant in the setting in which the religious ritual was taking place.
It was under an ancient Bo-tree. Jaffna has many Bo Trees and many of them have a little shrine built at the base of the tree, normally a shrine for Ganesha.
Generations of Sri Lankans have grown up being conditioned that the Sinhalese were the sons of the soil and that the Tamils were South Indian invaders who had invaded much later dislodging the Sinhalese in the North and occupying their lands. Similar to the Serbian view of Kosovo, the Sinhalese regard the North as Sinhala Buddhist land over-run by South Indian Invaders.
This view has more recently been dismissed by historians, as there is no evidence of large scale population displacement from the North.
In areas where the Sinhalese were displaced such as in the North Central Province, place names have been replaced by new Tamil names, but in Jaffna there are to the present day over a thousand “Sinhalese” place names, which survive in a Tamil garb, such as Aliyawala(i), kodigama(m), Weligama(m) etc.
This indicates that rather than wholesale displacement of the population, there has been a gradual Tamilisation. Recent DNA testing has also indicated that Sri Lankan Tamils are genetically closer to the Sinhalese than they are to South Indian Tamils.
All this and other evidence has led historians to reject the old theories and advocate that what has taken place in Jaffna is language and cultural replacement.
The same way that Sri Lankans in Colombo and the Western provinces have undergone language and cultural replacement by acquiring the English language, dress, cultural behaviour and Christianity in some instance, because of their contact with Western colonialism from 1505 onwards, Sri Lankans in the North have undergone language and cultural replacement by acquiring the Tamil language, dress, Hinduism and cultural behaviour because of their contact with South Indian colonialism from 992AD onwards.
The place names, the numerous Bo-Trees and ancient Buddhist remains indicate that the people of Jaffna were Buddhists from about 400BC till approximately 992AD, but despite them acquiring the Tamil language, culture and Hinduism, even today, they continue to perform some of their religious rituals under Bo-trees as they did so many generations ago.
42 Comments
I haven't visited Jaffna and enjoyed reading the article as an expressive travel journal. Thanks.
Mr Dushi,
The way some sinhalease behave in our beloved land we beleive some times need praba with diplomatic brain. if praba followed some our excelent tamil brain, we could have achieved our beloved land free.
Thank you Dushy for this article.
I hope the GOSL officials will read this.
The LTTE's rule is replaced by the Army. Jaffna people have no freedom whatsoever. Do they deserve this? I don't think so. They are under the same iron grip except this time it's the Army.
They want to remain free of LTTE, Para-Military and the so called Liberators?? the SLA, who don't even speak their language.
What a sad state for Northern people.
very interesting, Dushy Ranetunge has done excellent report. If only people and politicians of Lanka can understand. Evey one can enjoy what Lanka has to offer to it's children.
Dushy Ranetunge says:
"Sri Lankans in the North have undergone language and cultural replacement by acquiring the Tamil language, dress, Hinduism and cultural behaviour because of their contact with South Indian colonialism from 992AD onwards.
The place names, the numerous Bo-Trees and ancient Buddhist remains indicate that the people of Jaffna were Buddhists from about 400BC till approximately 992AD, but despite them acquiring the Tamil language, culture and Hinduism, even today, they continue to perform some of their religious rituals under Bo-trees as they did so many generations ago."
I am not a historian, however, I have this nagging question about the people who lived in that part of Sri lanka acquiring Tamil language, hinduism and culture.
Who were these people?
What language did they speak?
Why did they acquire Tamil Language, hinduism and culture?
Who did build the Kandarodai stupas? What language did these people speak?
What archeological markers have these people left behind before becoming Tamil Speaking people?
I am lost, need help to understand the logic of history. Please help.
In so many words what the writer saying is that Sinhala parayas should not be allowed to set foot on Jaffna as they are the source of all evil (polluting pristine Jaffna in every way). Jaffna & the North should remain mono ethnic as engineered by the Tamil terrorists forever.
Interestingly, the writer has conveniently avoided mentioning, the current status of Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya in Jaffna or the bakery owned and run by a Sinhala mudalali near Jaffna railway station or even the Naga Vihara situated in the town. Erase the memory and you achieve the objective of pure Tamil North.
The above idealogical myth facilitated violent ethnic cleansing of the North without even a murmur from any human rights defender. Not to mention lack of protest from a single Tamil (a sweeping statement which is true). The challenge is to break this myth and facilitate migration of non Tamil ethnic groups back to North (including Jaffna).
For the record, govt didn't need Tamil or Muslim settlers in the South to break the insurgency. Govt could just kill 60,000 of Sinhala youth and put them on burning tyre pyres without any problem from the reporter's ilk, or the bleeding NGOs or the UN officials or even the humane West.
According to my understanding of Sri Lankan history and the rise and decline of Buddhism in India,
1. Tamils in South India embraced Buddhism in large numbers. Tamil Buddhist literature-Silapathikaram, Manimekalai and Kundalekesi-and ruins of Buddhist temples, testify to this.
2. A Saivaite Hindu revival in South India, as part of the Bakthi movement, however relegated Buddhism to the background and led to its decline. However, Lord Buddha was considered a saint and even an avatar of Lord Vishnu by South Indian Hindus.
3. The Sinahalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka largely evolved from pre-historic peoples inhabiting the island, with frequent Indian infusion of genes. The peoples in Sri Lanka before the advent of Buddhism were largely 'Hindus of sorts'
4. Both the people who spoke Proto-Tamil and Proto-Sinhalese converted to Buddhism in large numbers, following the advent of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.
5. However, the Proto-Tamil speakers in the north and east largely reverted back to Saivaism. The others, both proto-Tamil and proto-Sinhalese, continued to be Buddhist. The Sinhala language developed among the Buddhists and the Tamil language developed among the Hindus.
6. The syncretism between between Buddhism and Hinduism found among the Sinhala Buddhists confirms this historical evolution.
7. Tamil settlements were found throughout Sri Lanka until recent times. Political pressures over the years had largely confined them to the north and east. It is also likely that Proto-Sinhala speakers in the north and east, became Tamil-Hindus over time.
8. Hindu temples are also found - both intact and in ruins- throughout Sri Lanka, confirming a historical Hindu presence in the island.
9. The Bo-tree is also considered sacred by Hindus, among several others. It is a tradition among Tamils to place statues of their God's under such trees.
10. Village names do not prove anything, unless interpreted from both etymological and historical perspectives. There is a 'Nalluruwa' in Panadura!
Panadura is interpreted by Tamils to have evolved from the name 'Pananthurai'. 'Anugrammam' become Anuradhapura over time! Sinhalese and Tamil share thousands of common words. Further words and names have also evolved from a common base. 'Pallawi' between Negombo and Chillaw has become 'Pallawiya'. There is a village called 'Nanjundankarai' yet in that area.
We have more in common than we have been taught to believe. We are closer to each other genetically than we realize. The Sinhalese and Tamils are the Abel and Caine - the children of common parents of Sri Lanka! Sinhalese and Tamils have equal claims to the ownership of this resplendent island and have a right to live where-ever they choose with dignity, security and equal rights. The sooner we understand this fundamental socially and politically, the better it will be for us.
Dushy, thanks for trying to tell the world what you see in the North:
1. what is “vapara” ?
2. Policies and practice of 6+ decades have been around ''The Sinhalese nationalist mind fails to comprehend the subtle difference between a Tamil deciding to live in Wellawatta and the state settling Sinhalese and building Buddhist temples in Tamil areas'' continues on and on = internal colonialism of 20C continues into 21C.
External colonialism was brought to an end in 20C but internal oppressors cordon off the oppressed by ''sovereignty'' that oppress a section of its own citizenry. Internal colonialsm will take a long time to go away as the oppressors collude at intergovernmental bodies and disable them.
*** Sinhala nationalist mind set seems incapable of comprehending what Tamils are articulating ***
It seems you are incapable of articulating too,...
Dushy for London,
After 25 years of BRUTAL TAMIL TERRORISM and ETHNIC CLEANSING towards all NON-TAMILS in Jaffna... what we are doing now is REVERSING the Damage done by TAMIL EELAMISTS.
You yourself admit that TAMILS COLONIZED our Lands so if there is a REVERSE of this what is your problem? Seems you are only upset at Sinhalese and Muslims Reclaiming the North, yet not a Hoot out of you when Tamils did this to us from South India?
Tamil in Sri Lanka should Learn SINHALESE, and come to terms with our culture, after all we would be required to do the same if we were to move to Tamil Nadu.
''The only ingredient that is lacking is the combustion of anti-Tamil riots such as in 1956, 1958, 1977, 1981, and 1983.''
The South has evolved a much worse ploy than the anti-Tamil riot: occupation of their land. Fullstop.
Well said Hela, I would have said something very similar. Cheers
Hi M,
I will try to help.
language and ethnicity should not be linked or confused.
Jaffna has Sinhalese place names because the Sinhala language was developing from 500BC, but Sinhala ethnicity and ethnic consciousness is estimated by historians to have emerged only around 1200AD.
Between these two periods, various tribal inhabitants would have populated the island and would have spoken early Sinhalese.
Who were these people?
The place names Nagadipa and Naga kovil indicates that perhaps a tribe known as the Naga's may have been one of the many tribes to populate the Jaffna peninsula.
What language did they speak?
Early Sinhalese that resulted in Jaffna getting Sinhala place names.
Why did they acquire Tamil Language, hinduism and culture?
The invasion of Rajaraja chola in 992AD resulted in Sri Lanka becoming a province of the South Indian Chola Empire that extended till Java, present day Indonesia.
Who did build the Kandarodai stupas? What language did these people speak?
Early Buddhists as Jaffna Peninsula had the principle port to India and a highway to the capital in Anuradhapura which is still in existence today, including some stone bridges.
They would have been various tribes speaking early Sinhalese language as Sinhala ethnic identity had not emerged by then.
The Mahavamsa speaks of the Naga king defending the western gateway to the Anuradhapura citadel and sitting on a throne equal in size to the Sinhala king.
What archeological markers have these people left behind before becoming Tamil Speaking people?
There are many buddhist temples in Jaffna, which are today Hindu temples with Bo trees. excavations have uncovered various Buddhist statues, including the Vallipuram gold plate.
Mr Dushey Ranetunge's ignorance and distorted mindset in his writings about the current life of Jaffnasiders are on par with his ignorance of the Australian Mud Crabs.
Salt and Pepper fried Mud Crabs, Mud Crabs cooked with Ginger and Spring Onions or Mud Crabs in XO on Noodles are nothing to be ashamed of.
This bloke can not put any point across without having a dig at Buddha Statutes and Sinhala Buddhists.
Why on earth do you want any Soldiers standing in every town in the South let alone Tamil soldiers.? Are you nuts .?
Do you want the Srilankan Army to pack up and go home so that your remnant "Buddies" can regroup. ?
Haven't you seen thousands of youngsters frolicking on the Southern beaches.?
Do you want the government to put signs on the Jaffna beaches to the effect that they are reserved for local Tamils only. ?
Did you have the freedom to travel in comfort in LTTE held areas and write bad things about them ?
Aren't you ashamed to enjoy the hospitality of the Soldiers who made sacrifices big time, to give this freedom to travel and then come back and have a dig at them. ?
Did your mate run a petrol station on your Son God's watch.?
Please stay put where ever you are mate.
There are hundreds of thousands Srilankans as well as non Srilankans who are happy about the current freedom of movement in country alone, and want to go there and have a good time.
@ Dushy ,well writen mate,for those writing comments they fail to realise that Dushy had done a lot of writing exposing the tigers from England and those who praised him that time are criticising him now just because he wrote the truth
@ Hela,Please read the article properly before writing comments old boy,i think your a silly fool lamenting about the naga vihara because that has been completley rebuilt after the SL army took Jaffna in 1995(shows that you had not visited jaffna nor got your facts right),as for Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya in Jaffna and bakery yes they need to be rebuilt too
What Dushy says is 100% true as no one Sinhalese or tamile will want to live under the eyes of men with arms,no one is protesting about Sinhalese people buying lands or setting up businesses in Jaffna on their own at all,what they dont like is state sponsored settlements
Thank you, Dushy Ranetunge, for this excellent, honest article. Tamils are a vibrant, highly intelligent people with a rich ancient history, as do the Sinhalese.
Everyone should have the freedom of living his life within the comfort of his beliefs and culture. No one should ever interfere nor take that away. Appreciating and respecting others for their traditions and cultures enriches everyone.
I admire and respect the Tamils greatly and hope everyday that their time for liberation will be realized soon.
Hi Eureka,
Vapara means cross eyed, or in this context the soldier was trying to say that Tamils look at them suspiciously.
One military police (MP) officer informed me that Tamil girls are trying to get friendly with them with a view to trap them.
They were also very conscious of international opinion.
So my conclusion is that both sides are suspicious of each other, but maintain a friendly civilised disposition.
Dear Hela,
I want more and more Sinhalese to visit Jaffna so that they can interact with Tamils and understand their own brethren, but to be responsible during their visits to Jaffna or anywhere else in not desecrating and polluting the place and not make disrespectful comments to other females that they would not make to their sisters or mother.
I have no objection for Sinhalese to buy land and live in Jaffna as Tamils live in Wellawatta.
In fact even I made inquiries to buy an acre of beach land in Jaffna or the islands if anyone would sell me a plot. I have no inhibitions living among the Tamil or the Sinhalese people and my other Sinhalese friends would join me as well.
Thanks Mr. D. Ranetunge.
Simply superb!
Wish many Sri-Lankan's think and act the way you do.
All the best.
Dear Anonymous
let me recite you from Thomas Gray's poem, Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College (1742): "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise
Once again, a good article from Dushy. As some people mentioned earlier, everybody should respect each other and live peacefully.
Dear Dushy,
Did you get your "Sinhalese friends " from the "Rent a Crowd People " ?
Dushy,
Now the origins are not that relevant.
For there to be a reconciliation,there should be a sizable sinhalease and muslim population in the north and east.This is a pre requisite for any peace.Becasue as long as north is tamil only,any power devolution will be viewed by the rest of the country as a seperate rule.
This is also pre requisite to a truly plural and multi cultural country.
Hope Tamils who are briliantly inteligent as claimed by Heike winning above understand this.However,the percentage of non tamils in the north should not exceed 40% as it will amount to a demograpic change.
Such a thing will allay fears among sinhalease about breaking up the country.Hope You and tamils will understand this
Dushy,
Congrats for the well balanced article. I would like to point out one issue to you.
I, as a Jaffna Tamil have no issues in Sinhalese buying land & settling down in Jaffna or anywhere in the North & East. That is the right of every citizen to live and work in any part of the country.
However, what I am opposed to is, Govt. helping Sinhalese financially to buy land, build homes and settling down in Jaffna. This is so unfair, especially at the present situation when 2,50,000+ people in are displaced with their homes destroyed and are in need of help in re-building their homes/lives.
I was displaced from Jaffna in 1990, with my house destroyed by the Army shelling and family underwent tremendous strain trying to re-build our lives and the struggle continues till today, even after 20 years!
Such a Govt. attempt to sponsor Sinhalese settlements in N&E, is viewed by the Tamil Community as one intended in increasing the Sinhalese population in North and East with a view to quell any future tamil claims of 'traditional homelands'. I strongly feel this is such a covert tactic.
Imagine a situation where the Indian Govt. sponsoring the Hindi speaking people to settle down in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other southern states!
If Sinhalese wants to settle in North & East they are most welcomed to do so out of their own capability just like how the Tamils have settled down in Wellawatte & elsewhere in Sri Lanka.
I do not share some of the historical data Dushy gives here. This we can sort out gradually and via civilised discourse. But I believe he is sincere in an early coming together of Sinhala and Tamils - and that must be supported. I welcome his call for more Sinhalese to visit Jaffna "so that they can interact and understand better their brethren" Someone out there must take his call to buy a property in the beach-areas. I am sure he will bring in British tourists regularly. Pray tell me, why do you say "I have no inhibitions living among Sinhalese people?" You were living amongst them whilst here, did'nt you?
ISS
Dear Writer,
I think you are being sandwiched by both extremes because your writing is un-biased, positive and constructive!
Yes, Army presence has to be reduced and fortunately it is being done at some places. In some places army have withdrawn in order to pave the way for re-settling of displaced people.
Misinformation is a very negative situation. When Malwatte Nayaka Thero went to offer 15 or 20 laks of money and things for school children in the North, Tamil net said he went to visit Newly constructed Buddhist temples! They never uttered a single word when a Buddhist monk offered books worth 20 laks to the Jaffna Library!
Normal Hindu Tamil is respectful to Buddhsim and vice-versa! What we have to look for a Hindu-Buddhist amity in order for us to be together in harmony.(because Hindus and Buddhists both respect and tolerate other religions)
Those who are inbided in both extremes cannot see a reconciled nation! We have to strive to make harmony among ourselves. Tamil culture is very hospitable, tolerent and respectful to others. We should allow this Great Tamil Culture to trive.
Mainly politicians are the arthitecs of the problem, therefore APOLITICAL pepole should take the rein of the reconciliation process.
Dear Dushi,
You should have also visited the sites of LTTE cemeteries which have been bulldozed and made into army camp sites.
This would have shown you the present state of the mahavamsa ( maha = great; vamsam = dynasty ) traditions.
Dushy Ranetunge
Thank you very much for enlightening me with Sri Lankan history. However, the more explanation you provide more questions are popping out of my head. I am sorry to bother you with my silly questions but I need to be educated therefore please bear with me.
Let me rewrite your response to my questions the way I understood:
“The Sinhala language developed from 500 BC coinciding with Vijaya’s arrival and Lord Buddha’s attainment of parinibbāṇa. Vijaya who was exiled from his native country, a far away kingdom, arrived in the island concurred the people with the help of his 700 fellow countrymen, brought the whole island under his control. Since his arrival or there about Sinhala language was developing. Until Vijaya’s arrival the people whom Vijaya concurred did not speak any language(s). Jaffna has Sinhalese place names because the Sinhala language was developing from 500BC, but Sinhala ethnicity and ethnic consciousness is estimated by historians to have emerged only around 1200AD. So the people who built Anurathapura and Polanaruva kingdoms and hydraulic civilisation did not feel they were Sinhalese but for the sake of this discussion we assume that the people knew they were Sinhalese and gave many places in Jaffna, Sinhala names. Between 500BC and 1200 AD, various tribal inhabitants would have populated the island and would have spoken early Sinhalese. One is not certain about who these tribal were and whence they came from. It is unique that Sinhala language is spoken only in the island not in any other country, including Vijaya’s native country. So the people who were there had to invent a new language namely the “early Sinhalese”. At the same time these people who spoke early Sinhalese started naming places in Jaffna without Sinhala ethnicity and ethnic consciousness.
The place names Nagadipa and Naga kovil indicates that perhaps a tribe known as the Naga's may have been one of the many tribes to populate the Jaffna peninsula. But we are not sure about when they started populating Jaffna peninsula. Whether they arrived in the peninsula before or after the development of Sinhala language cannot be stated with any certainty. Where are the off springs of these Naga people? We don’t know. Have they all become Jaffna Tamils?
The invasion of Rajaraja chola in 992AD resulted in Sri Lanka becoming a province of the South Indian Chola Empire that extended till Java, present day Indonesia. Until Rajaraja Chola discovered ocean going vessels the Tamils did not travel nor did they migrated from India. What a stupid people they were. Actually according to some writers the Jaffna Tamils were brought from South India by Dutch colonialist to work in the tobacco farms. According to another prolific writer on popular history the Tamils were brought to Sri Lanka by the British in the 19th century. We may have to confirm these dates.
Almost all tribes living in and around Kandarodai did not have their own language but spoke early Sinhalese. Early Buddhists as Jaffna Peninsula had the principle port to India and a highway to the capital in Anuradhapura which is still in existence today, including some stone bridges. They would have been various tribes speaking early Sinhalese language as Sinhala ethnic identity had not emerged by then.
Please let me know where you disagree with my understanding of your comments.
For the purpose of this discussion we will ignore the following observations made by eminent scholars.
“It stands to reason that a country which is only thirty miles from India and which would have been seen by the Indian fishermen every morning as they sailed out to catch their fish would have been occupied by men who understood how to sail. I suggest that the North of Ceylon was a flourishing settlement centuries before Vijaya was born.”
Sir Paul E.Pieris, 1919
Nagadipa and the Buddhist Remains in Jaffna, Part II p.65.
Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka had maintained close contacts since protohistoric times due to their geographical proximity. From the early period on wards, the South Indian mercantile
communities like Vanijha, Sattu, Aiyavole, Nanadesis and Tisai Aiyirattu Ainurruvar
and their medieval associated military communities like VÌrakkotiyar and Velaikkarar,2
in different periods played an important role in the economic and political history of the
island;
Osmund Bopearachchi
New Archaeological Evidence on Cultural and Commercial Relationships between
Ancient Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu
http://www.jisha.in/art1/7ob4y7qw8if.pdf
During the early Iron Age, otherwise known as the megalithic period, south India and Sri Lanka "had shared a culture going all the way to the pre-historic period". This was a revelation for Dr. Sudharshan Seneviratne, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, in the course of his research. Not only were megalithic burials similar, but paleo-biological and biological research showed that there were significant technological and cultural traits in common between the two regions, he said in an interview to T.S. Subramanian
http://www.flonnet.com/fl2301/stories/20060127003610200.htm
Tamil Buddhist’ is fore-runner of ‘Sinhala Buddhist’: The former should lead
— Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne
“Although according to Prof. Neelakanda Sasthri the evolution of Buddhism is around 6th century BC, the emergence of “Tamil Buddhist” and “Sinhala Buddhist” happens after 3rd century AD, after Emperor Asoka’s period,” he said. Asoka during his 28-year rule spread Buddhism not only in India but also in other continents. The religion was spread in South India, then called Dravida land and in Sri Lanka, then known as Thammapanni.
Tamils and Sinhala people have embraced Buddhism almost at the same time, says “Buddhism in Tamil Nadu” a research article published by Institute of Asian Studies. It says Mahinda Thero, son of Asoka, passed through South India visiting Kanchipuram, Kavekripoom Pattinam,, Nagapattinam, Pandia kingdom, Madurai, Pothigai Hills, and spreading the religion before reaching Sri Lanka.
He said there is similiarity among the cave temples found in Thiruparankundram, Kazhugu Malai, Marudamalai, Anamalai and Veerkaimani in Madurai and Tirunelvel districts and the caves of Sri Lanka “Mihindukuhava” where Mihinda Thero was believed to have lived.
“If we believe Mihinda Thero and his followers went through Tamil Nadu to reach Sri Lanka, then we have to accept that the ‘Tamil Buddhist’ has emerged before ‘Sinhala Buddhist’,” the professor said.
Around 12 century, there were many Tamil Buddhist monks who went to Sri Lanka, but they wrote Buddhism books in Pali language only, and hence Tamil Buddhist literatures were not created. But he was happy a lot of Tamil Buddhist literatures cropped up around 2nd centuary AD; “Manimegalai” is supreme among them. Dhammpatham, Thirukkural and Suthra Peetakam are others, he said.
Asian Tribune 01 June 2010
The first systematic excavation and scientific examination of the site was undertaken by the University of Pennsylvania Museum team in 1970 headed by Vimala Begley. A ceramic sequence remarkably similar to that of Arikamedu was identified………………………………….
The Radio-carbon dates were released by the Pensylvannia University Museum in 1977, but it took another five years for the Archaeological Commissioner of Sri Lanka to obtain these results from Bennet Bronson who was a member of the excavation team. These results were first published in Sri Lanka in the Sun group newspaper ‘Weekend’ dated 8/2/1982. The dates provided were a revelation, as two out of a total of sixteen artefacts analysed gave outer dates of 1300 BCE, implying the possibility of a Megalithic Culture commencement at this site during the second millennium BCE.
THE KANTARODAI PERIOD OF ANCIENT JAFFNA 1000 BCE – 500 CE
Dr Siva Thiagarajah
Sri Lanka Guardian
If only we have presented history in the right context, Sri Lanka would have been a peaceful country. It is still not too late. For a start, let’s teach our children that there were Tamil Buddhists in this country. Some ultranationalists are quick to grab artifacts found in the north and say that the discoveries were proof enough to show that Buddhism was once prevalent in every part of the country. Their conclusion, however, was that there were Sinhalese in the north, practising Buddhism. They failed to acknowledge that Tamils in the north were once Buddhists.
A reading of the great Tamil epic, Manimekalai, by the 2nd century Tamilnadu poet, Sathanar, would expose one to the influence of Buddhism among Tamils in Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka.
Sinhala Ignorance of Tamil Buddhism in Sri Lanka
by AMEEN IZZADEEN
http://federalidea.com/focus/archives/43
Vallipuram is a small village near the tip of the north-eastern corner of Jaffna peninsula. At Vallipuram was discovered ruins of some funerary urns, usually associated with Dravidian civilization of the early centuries of the Christian era or even earlier. At Vallipuram was also found a fine Buddha image of stone, in the Amaravati style, which was unearthed in the land close to the Vishnu temple, which was brought to and preserved in Jaffna when it was presented by Governor Sir Henry Blake to the king of Thailand. When the land around the Vishnu temple was cleared, a gold plate inscription came to light in or about 1936.[4] It seems to have passed through various hands before it came to the hands of a Buddhist monk who finally handed this over to Senerat Paranavitana, the then Archaeological Commissioner of Sri Lanka. The small gold plate of 1 and 3/4” x 1”, consisting of four lines refers to the building of a Buddhist temple. On this meager evidence, Paranavitana rushed to the conclusion that the remains of a Sinhalese Buddhist civilization had been discovered there.[5] His
imagination seems to have been propped up by the presence of a stretch of sandy waste, between the village of Vallipuram and the sea, which is strewn with vestiges of human habitations over an area about four miles in length and a mile in breadth, foundations of buildings, bricks, pottery and coins being occasionally brought to light by the villagers digging there.[6] The inscribed gold plate is claimed
by Paranavitana to have been discovered beneath the foundation of an ancient structure.[7]
Paranavitana had edited this inscription about forty years ago. His reading of the text, in transliteration is as follows:-
1. Sidha Maharaja Vahayaha rajehi amete
2. Isigiraye Nakadiva bujameni
3. Badakara atenehi Piyaguha-Tisa
4. Vihara Karite
His translation is as follows:-
Hail! In the reign of the great king Vaha and when the minister[8] Isigiraya was governing Nagadiva, Piyaguka Tisa caused a vihara to be built at Badakaraatana.
From this short one sentence inscription, Paranavitana arrives at sweeping conclusions. According to him the script was Brahmi of the second century A.D. and on the whole, agreed with the alphabet which occurred in dozens of stone inscriptions of the period, found in various parts of the Island. He was able to note that some letters on this plate were of less monumental appearance and more cursive in character than the corresponding symbols found in stone inscriptions but he justified the difference in the materials written upon. He also came to the conclusion that the language was old Sinhalese, conforming in general, to the grammatical standards followed in other documents of the period. Paranavitana went further and declared that this inscription also proved that Nāgadipa was governed in the second century by a minister of the Anurādhapura king, that Sinhalese was the prevailing language and that Buddhist shrines were built there. This paper of Paranavitana had assumed unnecessary and unworthy attention recently as people have started writing provocative
newspaper articles, quoting that paper without comment or criticism to deny Tamils, their historical habitat within the Island.[9] The present writer will try to show that Paranavitana’s claims are far too exaggerated.
Paranavitana seems to have thought that palaeographically, Vallipuram Gold Plate did not mark any significant change from the other records of the Age in Sri Lanka. It fell to A.H.Dani to discuss the significance of the palaeography of this plate in a scientific way:- “Of these, the gold plate inscription has an individual character of its own. In this particular case, the lower curves of the verticals are over
emphasized and the medial i has a sharp curve to the left. The Ikshvaku forms are marked in a,i, u, ka (optionally), ga, ma, ya, ra, la and va. From the same source is copied the letter l̩a…. In the Ceylonese inscriptions, we have definite evidence of the school of Amaravati and
Nagarjunakonda writing reaching Ceylon. Probably in the latter half of the third century A.D.”[12] Paranavitana who mentions the discovery of a Buddha image of Amaravati style, should have taken the clue and proceeded to compare the script at Amaravati and Vallipuram. The Ikshvākus were a dynasty ruling in Telugu speaking Andhra Pradesh and both Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda were in that region. What is important to note here is that though Andhra Pradesh was a Dravidian language speaking area, the rulers and the Buddhist monks were recording their inscriptions in Prakrit.[13] Though the Ikshvaku rulers were considered to be of an Aryan dynasty,they seem to have had close connections with the Tamils.[14]
Tamil in Ancient Jaffna and Vallipuram Gold Plate
A.Veluppillai
http://veluppillai.org/Vallipuram.aspx
Dear Dushy Ranetunge
It is always good to search inwardly to know who one is, but as a Buddhist you should not pause in your inward Journey (As in defining yourself as a Sinhalese Buddhist) but to move beyond to understand what you are beyond these petty definitions of identity and to be free of it and also understand that in the path to such realization it is natural to slip and become aware of those slips.
As for being Buddhist need not be a necessary condition to be a Sinhalese, for before Lanka converted to Buddhism the Dravidians of the south took to the Mahayana form of Buddhism, which may be the reason why the Mahavamsa was written, may be to protect the Theravada Buddhism, that was brought Lanka to protect it from Braminism, Jainism and Hinduism that was taking over in the north,(The same time taken to Burma) from the Mahayana form of the south of India.
As for the Language there is enough documented research on both languages and their origin and development
As for Tamils living in Wellawate is it different to the People of Hambantota, Matara, Gale, Kandy etc living in Colombo. Is it not the necessity of work which can only be found in Colombo, because of the of the Politician not to decentralizing Governance and thereby have decentralizing development and employment opportunities among others
A pure conflict less thought can produce much to peace than all the reconciliatory efforts that is from a background of conflicted thought
Prince Siddhartha sat under a Bo tree to meditate as a Hindu. He was enlightened after his meditations as a Hindu. He revealed his wonderful 'Thoughts' as a Hindu, with the aim of reforming Hinduism. He attained 'Buddha-hood' as a Hindu.
His aim was not to create a new religion or any new edifice related to it. The association of the Bo-tree with Buddhism is incidental. The Bo tree was ideal to meditate under, because of its wide canopy which provides ample shade. The fruits of the Bo-tree are eaten by birds and the seeds are passed with their droppings to germinate where ever there is some moisture-even cracks on walls. It is thus not very accurate to identify the presence of a Bo-tree anywhere, as evidence for the presence of institutionalized Buddhism. This unfortunate tendency has led many non-Buddhists to uproot Bo-tree plants that sprout in their gardens!
The Bo-tree only symbolizes the valiant attempt of one man- Price though he was- to understand the meanings of birth, life, death and suffering. I firmly believe that all Hindus are ultimately also Buddhists, if they comprehend the enormity of what was revealed by Lord Buddha in terms of reforming the Hinduism of his day. I also believe that all Buddhists are ultimately Hindus, because they practice a Neo-Hinduism preached to reform a religion that had gathered the cobwebs of casteism, meaningless rituals, animal sacrifice, cruelty etc., over centuries. Unfortunately, even Lord Buddha could not succeed in cleaning the Augean stables of Hinduism!
The unfortunate association of Lord Buddha and many other saints and prophets with many a strife and bloodshed, thousands of years after their demise, reminds of the quote, " There was only one Christian and He died on the cross".
We unfortunately, often miss the message and fight over the messenger!
Ilaya Seran Senguttuvan
I do not question Dushy's sincerity on the issue of reconciliation and political settlement. On the other he is one of the rare breeds of liberal writer who conciously think about and articulate his thoughts on these matters.
However, as with most Sinhala writers he comes from a preset ideas about the the ancient and medieval one sided history of the island. Though his writings are liberal and progressive his conciousness of being the chosen people of the island is the most dangerous of all which would eventually undermine his own good work when the push come to shove.
Otherwise I have no problem with his contribution to the discussion. Tamils should welcome Dushy and Hela to buy land in the North so that they too can share what the Tamils value as their way of life, but should not allow land grab by the state or the greedy across the island. Please note state is run by the the greedy. Whether they are professional politicians or state funtioneries is immaterial.
If Dushy and Hela buy land next to each other and become neighbours, that would be much better. One more point, influx of more greedy people into any area would price the poor people out of housing and livelyhood. If Dushy wants to live and work with the community and contribute to their well being, his presence in the North should be most welcome. However, if he is motivated by his sheer greed and a hidden agenda then of course people must have second thought about this man or for that matter anyone. .
Dushy:
Who did the DNA of Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils?
I tell Sinhalese cannot pass South India if the DNA tests are done and their claims of North Indian connection cannot be established with DNA.
Buddhist remains are not the signs of Sinhala colonies because Tamisl were too Buddhists.
Sinhala names of places, I agree those people were Sinhalese and later became Tamils.
The same theory can be applied to KANDY or SENKADAGALA because many Sinhala names like HERATH MUDIYANSE... are of South Indian origin!
Why cannot you do a research on Nalloor of Jaffna and Nalloruwa of Panadura?
Dr Mervyn Silva gives us an example of what should ideally be scholarly and unbiased approach to a subject of immense interest to all of us. Tamils of the North came in here only around 400 yrs ago brought by the Dutch for Tobacco cultivation
is a Nalin de Silva special - that seems to convince this man - also with a recognised PhD. This "history" was improved upon by other "Nationalist" historians - Children of the 1956 variety - to whom Tamils in the country came only in the 19th century. These neanderthals can well be thinking of those Tamils brought in by the British for Coffee/Tea cultivation. Both varieties of "teachers" have a wide following - particularly among the JVP-influenced students in the post-1970 period. To them Nalin de S was a prominent guru of "unimpeachable reputation". I recall here the thoughts of Mussolini "I hate the other, therefore, I am a patriot. I hate them more than you and therefore I am a better patriot" Some of those whom we discuss here come in that mould that only succeeded in dividing our society so sharply with these pseudo-historians playing their part "well" To them those who study and teach the past methodically, scientifically and free of prejudices like Sir Paul Peiris, Prof S. Paranavithana, Shiran Deraniyagala (Peiris) are all a bunch of imperialistic anti-Sinhala Buddhists on the pay of the judeo-christian West. The cumulative effect of this invented history was 1983 (the 1st instalment?) that reminds me of
Voltaire "those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
Atrocities they did commit - and we are all collectively paying for this.
ISS
Dear M,
I do not claim to have a monopoly on History.
The Sinhalese nationalists want to believe that the island is theirs and that Tamils are invaders.
Tamil nationalists want to believe that everything is Tamil and therefore its a Tamil homeland.
No academic historian would support either position and the so called academics that the radicals quote are not academic historians.
I never told you a story about Vijaya, as most academic historians will tell you that there is no evidence to support a vijaya story, but only North Indian linguistic and cultural influence, perhaps explained by the use of a vijaya story.
Let me explain a small point to you.
"Tamil" and "Sinhalese" are modern day labels. They are not valid 1500 years ago.
India, English, Russia, French are modern labels and they cannot be taken back in history and pinned to people who lived 1500 years ago to support modern day nationalistic claims.
Your reproductions above refer to Tamil buddhists and Sinhala buddhists.
We are discussing a period between 500BC and 993 AD. If you had a time machine and went back to this period and started looking for Tamil buddhists and Sinhalese buddhists, I would suggest that you would find none.
You are most welcome to your version.
Dear M,
I have mentioned in my earlier post that if you were to take a time machine and travel to 500BC-992AD period you will not find Sinhala Buddhist or Tamil Buddhist as you have tried so hard to articulate in your presentations.
Now let me take your own article to illustrate this.
You have produced an interview from Dr. Sudharshan Seneviratne, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, to support your "Tamil" point.
http://www.flonnet.com/fl2301/stories/20060127003610200.htm
Please read this again and you will realise that he does not use the terms "sinhalese" Buddhists or "Tamil" buddhist labels in his interview. Now, why do you think this is?
Also I wish to a point to para in his interview, reproduced by you to support your point.
" It is unfortunate that the megalithic monuments happen to be one of the most racialised monuments in south Asia. I have mentioned in my keynote address and elsewhere about how this got entwined with the Dravidian identity. Both `Aryan' and `Dravidian', being language terms, have been used in such a vulgar manner as to identify non-existent races and this racial connotation have been extended as a marker to identify archaeological monuments, which derails the entire intellectual concept of reading the past."
So my friend, you have reproduced an interview to support your Tamil/Dravidian case which is in fact self defeating??????
Please stop trying to use "tamil" and "Sinhala" labels. Its like trying to say that you are a Royalists and Royalists came to life before the Thomians and trying to attach a Royal College label to some man who lived in a cave 2000 years ago to support your Royal Collage case.
Hey Pro Bono,
Yes, I have not visited Jaffna for the past 32 years because I was not allowed freedom of movement by the sole representative of Tamils.
Since now I have that freedom of movement, I intend to re-visit Jaffna and perhaps re-visit the Naga vihara too, where I spent few nights on a previous occassion, those very long years ago. I may not buy land there though I have Tamil relatives hailing from the peninsular (not rich enough like Dushy).
You cannot re build a Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya without Sinhala speaking people living in Jaffna (not sure why your smart brain couldn't pick that up). Hope Northern Tamils understand the significance of it and break their mental shackels that prevent even embracing travellers from the South (not to mention settlers for maha vidyala's to be built).
Whole of Sri Lanka belongs to all people who call it their motherland. There are no enclaves that are the only preserve of one ethnicity or the other.
Dushy Ranetunge
Thanks again for taking trouble to help me make head or tail out of Sri Lankan ancient and medieval history. In spite of your best endeavour, and my perseverance I am getting nowhere. However let us review what we have discussed so far and what I have learned from you.
1. You never told me a story about Vijaya, as most academic historians will tell me that there is no evidence to support a vijaya story. I respect your position on ancient history that you believe North Indian linguistic and cultural influence was perhaps explained by the use of a vijaya story.
2. I appreciate your position that “Tamil" and "Sinhalese" are modern day labels. They are not valid 1500 years ago. However, THE KANTARODAI PERIOD OF ANCIENT JAFFNA dates back to 1000 BCE – 500 CE. According to your comment the people who built the Stupas would have been various tribes speaking “early Sinhalese” language as Sinhala ethnic identity had not emerged by then. I respect your position.
3. You have completely ignored South Indian influence and contacts (on the island by virtue of its proximity-Sir Paul E.Pieris) before the period 992AD whereas you are happy to give some credence to Vijaya’s story by agreeing to North Indian linguistic and cultural influence. I can understand your position. Absence of any mention of Tamil influence prior to 992 AD in your article is worrying. While you believe that the people of North spoke “early Sinhalaese” you seem to refute Tamil claim to their presence in the North prior to Chola conquest. Both Tamil and Elu are completely and deliberately blacked out in your piece and comments for reasons unknown.
4. These are sufficient matters of contention which should persuade you to review what you have written in your articles and comments. I hope you would take into account the “other side of the story” when writing your article next time around.
In the light of your latest comment and I quote “Please stop trying to use "tamil" and "Sinhala" labels. Its like trying to say that you are a Royalists and Royalists came to life before the Thomians and trying to attach a Royal College label to some man who lived in a cave 2000 years ago to support your Royal Collage case” not only I now have to unlearn what I learned from your article and your subsequent comments but persuade others to ignore the following observations you have made and I present them below:
“In areas where the Sinhalese were displaced such as in the North Central Province, place names have been replaced by new Tamil names, but in Jaffna there are to the present day over a thousand “Sinhalese” place names, which survive in a Tamil garb, such as Aliyawala(i), kodigama(m), Weligama(m) etc.”
“All this and other evidence has led historians to reject the old theories and advocate that what has taken place in Jaffna is language and cultural replacement”
“Sri Lankans in the North have undergone language and cultural replacement by acquiring the Tamil language, dress, Hinduism and cultural behaviour because of their contact with South Indian colonialism from 992AD onwards”
“The place names, the numerous Bo-Trees and ancient Buddhist remains indicate that the people of Jaffna were Buddhists from about 400BC till approximately 992AD, but despite them acquiring the Tamil language, culture and Hinduism, even today, they continue to perform some of their religious rituals under Bo-trees as they did so many generations ago.”
- Dushy Ranetunge
By commission and/or omission you seem to establish the Sinhala historical claim to the North while denying the presence of Tamil/Tamil language in the peninsula by alluding to various points by stealth. You find it hard to admit to the fact that Tamil and Elu (Mundaree) were also spoken in North. On my part I wonder why a liberal Sinhala writer like you intentionally goes to such an extent to omit information on Tamil and Elu presence in the North, perhaps I hope it is to do with your “judgement than your intentions”.
For your information I add conclusions of two Genetics Studies in Sri Lanka which are inconclusive analysis of Sri lankan Genetics.
The genetic structure of the living populations therefore supports, within the limitations
discussed above, the interpretation of the legend of Prince Vijaya which suggests that the Sinhalese had their origins in the south and in the north-east of India;rather than from the further reaches of the north-west and extreme north, and perhaps, as Basham has stressed, many elements of fact are embedded in the legend.
The Legend of Prince Vijaya —A Study of Sinhalese Origins,
R. L. KIRK Department of Human Biology, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Canberra ACT2601, Australia
In Table 4 the gene frequencies of 13 loci (37 alleles) in Sinhalese, Tamils, and Ben* galis have been computed from our investigations and from the literature. It is clear that the frequencies of these alleles in the Sinhalese and Tamils of Sri Lanka are similar and that they are not significantly different from those in the Tamils of India or the Bengalis. The population genetics studies (present and earlier ones) so far carried out in the Sinhalese have not revealed any significant differences in the gene frequencies at 13 polymorphic loci from those of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. The allelic frequencies in the Sri Lankan populations, in general, are similar to those in other Indian populations. Furthermore, the results of five Gm allotypes and two Km allotypes show that the presentday Sinhalese are closer to the Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils than to the Bengalis (Matsumoto et al., in press).
The present and earlier investigations produced no evidence whatsoever that the Sinhalese are genetically nearer to Eastern Indian populations than to the Tamils or to other South Indian populations. Even though there has been some legendary connection of the Sinhalese with East Indian or East Asian populations through trade or social links, there is no evidence to suggest that the present- day Sinhalese population is in any way genetically distinct from the Tamils of Sri Lanka.
This finding might be due to free intermarriage between the two populations for several generations in the past in spite of the fact that they practice considerably different
religion, language, and social systems. As far as we can see, the genetic evidence falls short
of supporting the legend that the Sinhalese are descendants of Prince Vijaya.
Bldocl Genetic Markers in Sri Lankan Populations-
Reappraisal of the Legend of Prince Vijaya
N.SAHA
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, National University of
Singapore, Singapore 0511
Hela says:
"Whole of Sri Lanka belongs to all people who call it their motherland. There are no enclaves that are the only preserve of one ethnicity or the other".
Brilliant finding by Hela.
In the past 60years of Sri Lankan history Hela and his fellow traveller's attitude towards the recent "migrants" is appaling. Hela wants us to believe that "Whole of Sri Lanka belongs to all people".
However, unless and otherwise the "chosen people" the "Boomiputras" "Hela Urumaya" change their sole claim to Sri Lankas heritage, land, political power, use of language and the preference given to Buddha Sasana, I am not sure how Hela and his ilk are going to make "other people" feel the island belongs to them too.
We should welcome Hela's change of heart.
However,the question remains, how Hela is going to prevent the island becoming an enclave of exclusive Sinhala/Buddhist in the South Asian context or the Kingdom of the first extended family.
It is heartening to hear that Hela has Tamil relatives hailing from the peninsular. When did they arrive in the island? Were they brought to the island by Dutch or the British? Perhaps after "The invasion of Rajaraja chola in 992AD resulted in Sri Lanka becoming a province of the South Indian Chola Empire that extended till Java, present day Indonesia"
I am eager to hear Hela's version of his Tamil relatives' history.
Hi M,
I agree that we are not getting anywhere.
You say that Kantarodai is 1000-500 BCE, but the board at Kantarodai states that it is attributed to the king of the Anuradhapura period.
I am indeed refuting "tamil" as well as "Sinhalese" before the Chola period.
I am also refuting that cholas were Tamils. That is so only in the minds of Tamil nationalists who are trying to pin their label on the Chola's, but if you get in your time machine and go and ask Raja Raja Chola who he is, he will not say that he is a Tamil, because thats your label and not his.
Your DNA results are interesting.
My DNA results traced me to a different continent. Have you tried yours?
Hi M,
I will try to explain my hesitancy in attaching present day labels.
below is a list of what is considered the Naga Kings of Anuradhapura
Mahallaka Naga (135-141 CE)
Bhatika Tissa (141-165 CE)
Kanittha Tissa (165-193 CE)
Cula Naga (193-195 CE)
Kuda Naga (195-196 CE)
Siri Naga (196-215 CE)
Voharika Tissa (215-237 CE)
Abhaya Naga (237-245 CE)
Siri Naga II (245-247 CE)
Vijaya Kumara (247-248 CE)
Then we have various place names such as Naga dipa, Naga kovil, and naga settlements around 200BC in Kelaniya and Magama from where Dutu Gemunu arrived.
These people above would have spoken regional languages mainly early Sinhalese as a majority of stone inscriptions indicate and early Tamil, which represent a minority of inscriptions in Sri Lanka. This is simply the use of regional languages.
Now on what basis can you allocate to them, present day ethnic labels of Sinhalese and Tamil.???? When in all probability, they themselves would have regarded themselves as Naga's or some other clan???
Just because someone speaks Tamil language does not make him a Tamil, as the fact that Charles Taylor of Liberia and President Obama are not English, just because they speak English.
Post (Aug 18) of Dr. Mervyn Silva PhD (the genuine material and from the self-serving acupuncturist) and, I believe former MP and senior Central Bank and State official - one among many decent and educated Sinhalese ready to face history and facts as they are. No less Sinhala than others - he. If 9,000 years ago we were the same land mass (without the division of the sea that intervened thereafter) multiple influences from the nearest point in South India must have enormously shaped the Island's ethos in almost every aspect of human endeavour and culture. And, then there was another Silva - Parliamentarian, Historian, Socialist, Brilliant Lawyer Dr. Colvin R. de Silva who is in record "we all came from there. The difference is when and from where" Furthermore, there is the honest search of a number of years by that Princeton scholar Dr. Gananath Obeysekera who did several stints of actually living, eating, talking and studying with the nomadic Tamil-Telegu speaking "Sinhala" Veddahs of Mahiyangana, the EP carefully studying their semantics,
folklore and songs. But the voice of the learned is silenced at the altar of majoritarian political expediency that seems to insist, to use Tisaranee G's ringing words recently "those who control the past control the future - and those who control the present will control the past" There is no room for the historical truth in this fascistic hegemony. We will continue to boil in our own self-inflicted oil for a long time to come is the unpalatable reality.
ISS
Dushy
An interesting and relevant comment by
Hobsbawm, Eric J.
Nations and Nationalism Since 1780. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
I cannot but add that no serious historian of nations and nationalism can be a committed political nationalist, except in the sense in which believers in the literal truth of the Scriptures, while unable to make contributions to evolutionary theory, are not precluded from making contributions to archaeology and Semitic philology. Nationalism requires too much belief in what is patently not so. As Renan said: 'Getting its history wrong is part of being a nation.' Historians are professionally obliged not to get it wrong, or at least to make an effort not to. To be Irish and proudly attached to Ireland - even to be proudly Catholic-Irish or Ulster Protestant Irish - is not in itself incompatible with the serious study of Irish history. To be a Fenian or an Orangeman, I would judge, is not so compatible, any more than being a Zionist is compatible with writing a genuinely serious history of the Jews; unless the historian leaves his or her convictions behind when entering the library or the study. Some nationalist historians have been unable to do so. Fortunately, in setting out to write the present book I have not needed to leave my non-historical convictions behind.
Dushy
1. vapara - thanks for explaining it.
2.I've always liked your unbiased writing criticising atricities by GoSL and Tigers.
Path to peace is recognition of so many things hidden from view behind the wall warding off Northeast.
Can you please do an article on those physically maimed(who knows about the numbers without limbs, eyesight, hearing, etc?) at least in the last few years of the war?